


The Storm after the Storm

by CarmillaAndStuff



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, Post canon, it ends well, nothing too killer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-19
Updated: 2016-02-19
Packaged: 2018-05-21 22:17:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6060043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarmillaAndStuff/pseuds/CarmillaAndStuff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>some angst. Some fluff. Some survivors guilt. The usual! </p><p>Max and Chloe talk about all the shit that happened over the crazy week.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Storm after the Storm

**Author's Note:**

> Yo! Haven't wrote for the Life is Strange fandom yet! But I felt it was definitely time cause this game is fucking amazing and I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen after Max and Chloe leave Arcadia Bay! So here ya go! Hope you enjoy!

It's over. One way or another, it's over, and Chloe's next to me with her beautiful pissed off face and bright blue hair. I never thought we'd get to this point, I can't believe we did, but, despite everything that happened, I feel relieved. I'm just so happy that the nightmare that was this week is finally over and done with. Part of me is riddled with guilt, because of the choices I made. But I could never regret the decision I made, to save Chloe. It was always going to be Chloe. It _will_ always be Chloe. My best friend, my soulmate, perhaps... more? We haven't really talked much after everything that happened up at the lighthouse. I don't think we would even know where to start. So much has happened in the course of just a week and it seems that figuring out what "we" are isn't really as important as some... other things. Like the fact that I'm the reason Chloe's family is probably dead, and all my friends from Blackwell...

"Hey, Mad Max, you still with us?"

Chloe's voice cuts my internal self-loathing short. I turn my head to look at her sitting behind the wheel of her beat up old truck as we cruise down some highway. She gives me a small smile and I give her a tiny, forced, smile in return before looking out my window again.

She sighs.

"Still don't feel like talking, huh?"

We've been driving for almost two hours now, so the fact that we haven't had a full conversation yet is kind of strange. Or maybe it's not, considering the circumstances. Either way, Chloe keeps wanting to talk about something, anything, I'd wager, just to break the cold silence looming inside the cab of her pick-up. I'd talk, but what is there to say? 'I'm sorry' would be a lie, and everything else could only make the truth worse.

Chloe sighed again when she realized I wasn't going to speak.

"You know," she starts, "You don't have to do this alone, Max. I'm here for you, always." she pauses before adding, "Besides, if anyone's to blame for this shit storm, it's probably me."

Her words should make me feel better, but they only sting. And all of what happened was my fault, Chloe shouldn't feel responsible for any of it. This is my burden to carry, not her's. She's had a hard enough life already.

"Don't even think that. Chloe, none of this was your fault," I finally say.

She doesn't look at me as she replies. "How can you believe that? Do you not remember _I'm_ the reason you found out you could rewind time in the first place? Arcadia Bay's blood is on my hands, Max, not yours."

"Bullshit," I say, talking over her, "There's no way you can pin that on yourself."

"Why not?" she scoffs. "I'm always the common factor when things go to shit. It only makes sense that-," she swallows hard, "that my mom's death is my fault. And... and Kate's. God, how could I let all those fucking good people die? All for my sorry ass to live? My mom should still be here, not me. Not after I've been such a fucking asshole to people who only care about me."

I stare at her for a moment, because really I wasn't expecting her to blame herself for what happened in Arcadia Bay. I was too busy worrying about or not she was blaming me. Good going, Max. Just keep thinking about yourself in this crisis.

"Chloe..."

"No," she says, and I can tell she's holding back tears. It breaks my heart to see her like this. "Don't even try to tell me that none of this is on me," she glanced over at me. "I'm not stupid Max."

I can't hold back any longer, the look in her eye makes me snap. She can't be blaming herself for this shit. It's my fault. _Mine._

"Fine," I say, "Yes, the blame is yours. Is that what you want to hear, Clo? That it's your fault? Because when _I_ was the one standing on that cliff, looking out at that damn storm, tearing that stupid butterfly photo in half, while my _best friend_ tried to convince me to let _her_ die for the greater good, all I could think about was how it was _her fault_ that all of those people were about to die."

Tears start streaming down my face and I can't even look at Chloe as I finish speaking. How could she ever blame herself? She was the one willing to sacrifice herself for a town and people she claimed to hate, while all I was was selfish for not being able to give her up.

Suddenly, I feel Chloe's arms wrapping around me and I notice that she pulled over onto the side of the road. I nuzzle my face into her neck, just like I did back at the lighthouse while the tornado stripped away Arcadia Bay. She brings a hand up and starts to run her fingers gently through my hair, the action helping me to calm my tears and my breathing. We sit on the side of the highway for what feels like hours, my face buried in the crook of Chloe's neck while she continues to stroke my hair. After a couple of minutes her hand stills and she shifts slightly in her spot. She clears her throat awkwardly.

"Uh, hey, loser, you- you're getting snot all over my jacket," she says with a chuckle.

I giggle and pull back to shove her playfully. "Jerk."

She grins at me like only Chloe can. "Your one and only!" she hesitates before continuing. "Max, there's no saying what really happened in Arcadia Bay... and, well, if we have to blame ourselves in order to move past it, then maybe that's just how things have to be... Your eyes are kinda glazing over... fuck, I'm making hella no sense."

I chuckle as Chloe tries to explain herself. "Clo, I get it. Don't hurt yourself."

She rolls her eyes and mumbles under her breath, "Sassy little shit."

I laugh and lean to rest my head on her shoulder. Hesitantly, Chloe reaches out and and laces our fingers together, the action makes my heart speed in my chest. She sighs and leans her head against mine.

"Look, Max, I know neither one of us is ever gonna stop blaming ourselves for what happened. But, I just want you to know I _am_ here for you. Whenever you need me. I meant it when I said I'd always be with you," she says. I pull back and look into her eyes. Her beautiful blue eyes that see straight into my soul. The mood in the cab turns heavy as Chloe's eyes slowly trail down to stare at my lips, which I unconsciously lick. Suddenly Chloe shakes her head and clears her throat, leaning back a little to put some distance between us. She looks back up into my eyes with a smirk. "Unfortunately for you, that means you're stuck with my ungrateful ass." She scoots over a little more and starts the truck back up again. "Sorry, Caulfield."

I couldn't stop the smile spreading on my face even if I wanted to. As we pull back onto the highway I reach over and take Chloe's hand in mine again. She looks over at me and I give her hand a gentle squeeze, a way of saying "we're gonna be okay". She gives me a dazzling smile and hesitates for only a moment before bringing the back of my hand up to her lips and leaving a gentle kiss on the skin. She doesn't look at me after that, her eyes fixed solely on the road in front of her. But when I run my thumb across her knuckles I catch the small smile that appears on her lips and the blush creeping up her neck. I smile to myself and turn my attention to the road ahead of us.

Yeah, we're going to be okay. One day.

**Author's Note:**

> That's all she wrote! Hope you liked it! Please feel free to leave a comment! Good, bad or anything in between, I wanna hear what you guys think! Have a great day/night! :)


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